Kael led Clara deeper into the Wound, the surreal landscape shifting with every step. The jagged crystalline structures pulsed faintly, as though alive, and the air grew heavier with every breath she took. Clara’s grip on the Node tightened. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the Wound was watching her, its fractured reality reacting to her presence.

“Stay focused,” Kael said, his voice breaking the oppressive silence. “The Wound amplifies thoughts and emotions. It’ll use them against you if you’re not careful.”

Clara nodded, though she wasn’t sure what staying focused meant in a place like this. “What exactly are we looking for here?”

Kael stopped, his sharp gaze scanning the horizon. “Answers. The Wound isn’t just a scar—it’s a repository. Fragments of Blackthorn’s experiments are trapped here. If we’re lucky, we’ll find something to help you understand the Node.”

“And if we’re not lucky?” Clara asked.

Kael’s expression hardened. “Then we’ll be consumed by the same chaos that created this place.”

The weight of his words settled over Clara as they continued. Her mind raced with questions, but Kael’s rigid demeanor didn’t invite conversation. Instead, she focused on the Node, its glow steady against her palm. She felt its warmth, its pull, and something else—a faint whisper at the edge of her consciousness.

Clara.

She froze. The voice was faint but unmistakable, and it seemed to come from within her mind.

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“Did you hear that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kael stopped and turned, his brow furrowed. “Hear what?”

Clara hesitated. “Nothing. Never mind.”

Kael gave her a long, searching look before continuing. But the voice didn’t stop. It grew louder, more insistent.

Clara. You must listen.

She clenched her fists, willing the voice away, but it only intensified. Images flashed in her mind—a laboratory filled with strange machines, a man standing before a glowing sphere, and the unmistakable emblem of the Blackthorn family crest. The Node grew warmer, its glow pulsating in rhythm with the whispers.

“Clara!” Kael’s sharp tone jolted her back to reality. He was standing a few feet ahead, his weapon drawn. “We’re not alone.”

Clara’s heart raced as she followed his gaze. Emerging from the crystalline structures were figures she recognized all too well. Harvesters. Their twisted forms shimmered in the unnatural light, their movements jerky and erratic.

Kael raised his weapon. “Stay behind me. If they get too close, use the Node.”

Clara’s grip on the Node tightened. “Use it how?”

Kael didn’t answer. He fired, his weapon emitting a burst of energy that struck the nearest Harvester. The creature staggered but didn’t fall. Instead, it let out a guttural screech and lunged forward.

“Clara, now!” Kael shouted.

The Node vibrated in her hands, its glow intensifying. Clara focused, reaching for the connection she’d felt before. The Node responded, a surge of energy radiating from it and slamming into the Harvesters. The creatures dissolved into ash, their screeches fading into silence.

Clara gasped, the Node’s glow dimming as the energy subsided. She looked at Kael, who was watching her with a mix of awe and caution.

“You’re stronger than I thought,” he said.

Clara’s hands trembled as she tucked the Node back into her bag. “I didn’t know I could do that.”

Kael nodded. “The Node is learning from you, just as you’re learning from it. But be careful. Power like that comes with a cost.”

Clara didn’t need the warning. She could feel the toll it had taken on her, the exhaustion settling into her bones. But she also felt something else: a growing connection to the Node, and a growing certainty that it wasn’t just a tool. It was alive.

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